


Kylo's Tale (A Reylo Dog Story)

by ReyreyButt



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Jealous Kylo Ren, Kylo POV, Kylo has separation anxiety, Kylo is a dog, Major character death - Freeform, Meet-Cute, Mental Health Issues, Past Abuse, Reconciliation, Romance, Suggestions of smut, Tags will be updated, suggestions of mental illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:17:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyreyButt/pseuds/ReyreyButt
Summary: A story of Ben and Rey's relationship told through the perspective of his dog, Kylo.





	1. Chapter 1

 

          I was supposed to go to the Rainbow Bridge the day that my I found my human, Ben. The other dogs at the Cold Cages told me I had been there too long and the humans there did not like that. They got a little sad about it, and I’m still not sure why, but I had been ready; I was not a pup anymore, and I liked to think I had helped enough humans already (even though they always disappeared after a while), but on that fateful day I knew I still had one last job to do.

          It was late afternoon when Ben stumbled into the Cold Cages. The sun was almost down, casting everything in a weird orange light. He looked so sad and lost, and he was slouching, folded in on himself, as he walked aimlessly among the cages, looking for… something. He looked so distressed, I could almost smell it from him. Finally, after he looked around for a bit, he talked to one of the humans there who then pointed him to the direction of my cage.

          He got on one knee in front of my cage and looked at me, and I looked at him. He had such sad eyes. They were red and puffy, and he looked insoluble. My heart ached for him. “Hey, boy,” he said, his voice cracking. He talked to me for a bit and told me that we were actually on “the same boat”(I didn’t see any boats), that we were at the end of our rope (no ropes either), and that we needed each other.

          After a while, he reached out his hand tentatively. When I came up to sniff him, he looked at me with so much hope in his eyes. I knew then that he needed me, even more than I needed him, so I licked his hand through the cage to comfort him. That was the day that I rescued Ben.

 

\---

 

          I came home for the first time that day. The house was huge compared to the Cold Cages, and even bigger than the houses of my previous humans. I had a nice bed, and food and water ready. It was so great! I lived like a Top Dog.

          However, our first few days together had been a little difficult. I had to remind Ben to wake up and feed and walk himself. He was stubborn at first, but I was able to get him to wake up earlier, eat more, and walk around the block a couple of times. It had taken me giving him two stinky “gifts” for him to finally do that. 

          Ben got very sad sometimes, and I had to be alert for it or he will hurt himself. Sometimes he would get very angry, especially when he was in his special room with all the glow screens that he stared at all day, the only room I was not allowed in. He would throw things at the wall and shout, and I had to shout back at him to calm him down. He would never hurt me, never, never, and I was never scared of him, but I had to be strong for Ben. I had to be there to make him calm. I can always make his angry go away.

          Some days, he goes out of the house for a few hours. He told me he had to go to the _Therapist_ , and that he would be back soon. I used to worry that he wouldn’t return, like my previous humans. But Ben always came home. And in most of those days, he seemed less sad. And he always brought home snacks, which was always nice. I wasn’t sure who or what the Therapist was, but I was glad that he goes there, even if he leaves me alone for a while. 

          Many months after I rescued Ben, I noticed that he was less sad and less angry. That made me so glad. By then we had developed a great routine: he’d wake up early and go for a run with me. Then he would feed me, after which he would go to the room with the heavy things that he lifts up and down repeatedly. After that, he’d go wash in the water room (he has to take a bath EVERY DAY. It was a little idiotic. I was a bit worried about that). Then, he went to the special room to stare at the glow screens all day. In the evening, we went out again so I can do my business and sniff around. Then we would eat together while he stared at another glow screen in the big room. He had moved my bed in his bedroom, which was great, but I wished he would sleep earlier instead of just staring at the smaller glow screen that he always carried around.

 

\---

 

          One day, instead of walking around the block a few times, we went to the Park. It was the first time that Ben had taken me there. I was so excited! Ben had told me that the Therapist (another human, I had assumed by then) told him to ‘go out more.’ I have to thank the Therapist one day. 

          It was a sunny day, and the park was full of humans — big and tiny — and other dogs running around. Some humans who had very fast shoes on zoomed about; some were playing catch; others were just sitting around eating delicious snacks.  I smelled so many wonderful smells and I greeted several dogs. It was The Most Perfect Day Ever, nothing could have ruined our most special day. That is until disaster struck: Ben met a girl. 

          We had been lining up on one of the food boxes waiting for our turn when the tiny human in front of us dropped her food. It rolled away for a bit and so I did what any self-respecting dog would do, I chased after it. Of course, I had to go get it, it is most important that we eat the food that humans drop on the floor.

          Ben tugged on my leash hissing “Kylo!” But I had an obligation. I must get to the fallen food. I dragged Ben across the path — I was a dog with a mission — when I heard a high pitched scream and a crash. I successfully got to the fallen food (it was delicious), when I heard groans and Ben muttering “Kylo you stupid dog.”

        A human, a girl with the fast shoes on, had crashed into Ben. All her stuff were scattered around us and she looked annoyed. “What the hell,” she had squeaked and winced.

         “I am so, so, so sorry,” Ben told the girl as he helped her up. He helped gather her stuff all the while muttering about his “idiot dog.” She was limping a little so Ben helped her towards a nearby bench.

          The girl groaned and rubbed her knee, but she looked less annoyed when she saw Ben handing her her stuff. She even smiled a little when she saw me.

          “God I am so, so sorry about that,” Ben was nervous. He always ran his hand through his hair when he was nervous. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? My idiot dog Kylo--”

          “It’s alright, I swear. I’m fine. But I think your dog owes me an apology. I saw him dragging you for that hotdog. I couldn't stop in time. Kylo, was it?”

          Ben nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. Ben humored her, smiling a little now. “Kylo, go apologize to the nice lady.”

        I would have rolled my eyes if I knew how. I didn’t like this human, she smelled weird. She smelled like cat. And she was making Ben nervous, which was making ME nervous. It was Not Good. I didn’t growl when she moved to pet me, but I didn’t wag either. I wasn’t happy. This strange human was interfering with my perfect day with Ben. The girl hesitated then. 

          “Woop, Kylo isn’t too friendly…” she raised a brow, silently asking for Ben’s name. She was smiling now. 

          Ben stared at her for a while, and it was getting embarrassing. We had to get out of there quick, I was getting antsy so I started tugging at him. 

         “Oh! Ben. I’m Ben. My name is Ben, hi.” He spluttered, offering his hand. He was flushing. Oh, Ben… “Yeah, sorry about that. He’s not used to… people talking to us.” He was smiling an idiot’s smile then. 

          The girl took his hand. She was smiling an idiot’s smile as well. These people are ridiculous.

          “Hi, Ben. I’m Rey.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank my no-experience-beta-but-wonderful-nonetheless, the only person I can drag into my Reylo obsession, my boyfriend GP. He's been so supportive.
> 
> Your comments and kind critiques are very much welcome! 
> 
> This is my very first fic ever and I am very nervous about it. I am an artist first, and a writer last. But I just thought of this story and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I wrote it down! I made accompanying art for each chapter. I hope you guys like them as well!
> 
> The rest of the chapters have already been plotted out and outlined, and I only have 2 more chapters to fully write, really. I just need time for massive edits. I will probably update as I finish them, so every few days or so, a week at most. The rating and tags may be updated as I go along with the rest of the chapters, so watch out!
> 
> I am on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me!  
> [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo recalls his past humans and comes to terms with his distrust of Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: please mind additional tags. Passing mentions of past animal abuse, domestic violence -- nothing graphic.

          Ben left me again for a third time that week, and he always came home smelling like _her_ **.** He said he took Rey out on “dates”, whatever that is. I didn’t like it one bit. She was taking so much time from me and Ben. It’s like his Therapy time again, but much worse, because it happened more often and he always came home late AND smelled like her. And cat. 

          He did seem happier though, which made me glad. But I still didn’t trust her. She made Ben leave me alone. 

          It reminded me too much of my previous humans.

 

\---

 

_My first human was a sweet old lady who had rescued me from bad people. We spent so much time together and she would always take me everywhere she went: on car rides the store, on meet-ups with her old lady friends, on walks to the park. We had many years of fun, and she had introduced me to some of her grand pups who visited us on very hot days. Those were always exhaustingly great. They played fetch with me until I couldn’t anymore._

_One day, during our walk, I noticed her a bit slower than usual. She said her knees hurt, so we kept our walks short and comfortable. Soon enough, she got too weak to play with me. It was fine with me, it just meant more time lounging at home, more belly rubs, and more sitting by the porch just relaxing. I still loved her very much._

_I still remember the day that she started to smell different. She smelled sick. Soon she left for the Hospital. She told me about that place. It didn’t sound very nice. She always came home after her trips there, but every time she did she smelled sicker, and she smelled like Hospital, which was awful. And with each visit to that place, she left for longer and longer periods. I was not worried, though.  The neighbor always came over to give me food and water and walk me for a bit. I would wait a day. Sometimes it was three days. The longest was 5 days! But she always came home. Always._

_Until one day... she didn’t._

_I waited for 8 days. I knew she would always return for me. She has never left me this long before. The neighbor still dropped by to give me food and walk me out to the lawn for a bit. On the eighth day, someone came to the house, packing up stuff, moving her things, he looked like he was looking for something. I remembered him, he always made my human a little sad when he visited us. I think she wanted him to visit more often, but every time he did he was always in a hurry. He smelled like her, like he was with her at the Hospital very recently. He smelled like her only… different. I couldn’t figure it out a first, but— No. No no no no. I refused to believe it, but it smelled like she was gone. She had crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and I wasn’t even there to comfort her and guide her. I wasn’t even able to say goodbye. I wasn’t able to lick her hand and keep her feet warm. She must have been so scared. No._

_My human was gone._

_After that, I was immediately taken in by my new human. She was my previous human’s friend, and she was concerned for me. I missed my previous human, but my new human needed me. However, she was always away the entire day, always leaving in a hurry (sometimes forgetting to leave food in my bowl), and coming home exhausted and angry. I did not like it when she left every day, but she always did. And waiting for her made me very nervous. I am happy when she comes home late at night, but she ignored me and went straight to bed, or she’d get angry and shouted at me to leave her alone. It was alright. She must have been distressed while she was away. I noticed she became extra angry when I would leave “gifts” inside the house. Those days happened when she forgot to open the door to the backyard for me. But we also had nice times. She would pet me and give me food from her plate on the rare days she was home all day._

_I stayed with her for a few months, but she only got angrier at me. I was so confused. I just wanted to help her._

_One day, she took a human man home. I did not like that man. He smelled angry and unkind. He kicked me when I tried to sniff him out. Then, my human and the man were shouting. They were arguing so loudly, I couldn’t stand it, it was making me nervous. Then the man hit her, he hurt my human.  I saw red. I needed to protect her. I snarled and bit the man’s leg. It was so much chaos and confusion and shouting that I never realized what was happening. My human had put me on a leash and dragged me out to the car. I quickly forgot about the fight because we were going for a ride! Just like my previous human did! We were going for a ride! It made me so happy! We went on that ride for a long time. That was probably the happiest I had been with my new human. When, finally, she stopped the car, she closed her eyes, and put her head on the wheel in front of her and cried. So I went to comfort her._

_“I never should have taken you in. I barely have time for myself, how could I have time for a dog. I am sorry.” she had told me as we were getting off the car. Her voice sounded husky. She dragged me towards a fence._

_It was already dark and we were alone. She tied up my leash on the fence, turned around, and left. I waited for her, of course. She was always leaving me, but she always returned. Always. I waited until it was morning._

_That was the last time I’d seen her._

_But she did leave me outside the Cold Cages, and that’s where I stayed for a long time until I met Ben. I met many new humans (and dogs) there. They were kind and gave us foods, pets, and walks, but they were never MY human._

 

\---

 

          I was getting nervous again that Ben would leave me. He would never. I love Ben and he loves me. But it still scared me a little. Rey was just taking so much of his time. 

          When Ben returned that night—earlier than usual—Rey was with him. They were laughing as they went in, as if I wasn’t there in front of them. I greeted Ben and he gave me my pets and hugs. “I missed you, Buddy. Look who’s here!” 

          “Hi Kylo. Still don’t trust me, baby?” Rey said, kneeling in front of me a distance away. She offered her hand for me to sniff. I didn't. “Hm. He must be smelling my cat from home, BB.” 

          I KNEW IT. I KNEW THERE WAS A CAT. 

          “Must be it. Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it. He’ll warm up to you soon.” He called over his shoulder as he was taking out all the delicious-smelling food they had brought with them to the table.   

          “Oh, he will.” Rey smiled at Ben, then said to me, “I’m going to make you like me as much as I like Ben. Look, I’ve got something for you.” She took something from her bag. It was a doggie cookie. I like doggie cookies. She offered it to me. How could I refuse a doggie cookie from anyone? — even if they smelled like cat and kept Ben away for a time. I took the cookie. And then she did something that surprised me. She actually gave me scritchies behind the ear. That was really nice of her. 

          Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. 

          “Let’s take Kylo to the park tomorrow,” Rey said as she got up, helping Ben with the food. 

          Oh. 

          Perhaps I had misjudged Rey. 

          Maybe I could give her a chance. 

          We went to the park the next day. It was The Most Perfect Day Ever once again.

 

\---

 

          I know I said I didn’t like Rey, but that had changed pretty quickly. Instead of going on their “dates”, she’s been spending more and more time at home, bringing delicious food at night (and “accidentally” dropping morsels on the floor for me). They spend almost all of their time here staring at the glow screen and cuddling on the couch. Sometimes they just whispered at each other and giggled. Other times, they’d gorge at each other's mouths, and grabbed each other’s hair. For a very long time. It was weird, but at least Ben didn’t leave me alone for long periods anymore. 

          And on weekends, we always went to the Park. 

          Ben seemed so much happier with Rey spending a lot more time with us. It made me glad. But I hadn’t truly appreciated her until the day Ben’s sadness returned. It happened so suddenly. One minute I was napping outside his special room, and the next he was screaming and throwing things at the wall. I tried to calm him down, but it wasn’t working. He was worried might hurt himself again! 

          Rey burst through the door a moment later. “Ben? I got your text — _Ben!_ What’s wrong?” I wanted to tell her it was no use, that I’d been trying to calm him down for a while now. But Rey rushed past me, went inside his special room, and hugged him. He crumpled then and there. “Hey. Hey, I’m here. Talk to me. What happened, Ben?” 

          Ben was shivering and crying in her arms while Rey stroked his back and made comforting shushing sounds. And when Ben was calm again, they walked back to the couch and cuddled there. She really did it. Rey made Ben’s angry go away. They were talking in hushed voices now. 

          I hesitated as approached. I licked Rey’s hand and rested my head on Ben’s knee. “Hey, Kylo. I’m sorry I scared you a bit there, buddy,” Ben hiccupped, running his hand on my head. 

          What was he apologizing for? 

       “Kylo was very brave,” Rey whispered, her head resting on his shoulders. That made me feel very proud. Then “thank you for being with Ben, baby,” she told me as I received more ear scritchies. They both slept on the couch. That was the first time that Rey stayed over for the night. 

          I made a very important decision that night: Rey had to stay. She was good. She’s good for Ben. We can both help Ben when he is angry or sad. We need her.

          Rey needed to stay.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the thanks still to my no-experience-beta-but-wonderful-nonetheless boyfriend, GP.
> 
> Your comments and kind critiques are very much welcome! 
> 
> I am on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me!  
> [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ridiculousness and sunsets.

          Rey was probably the best thing to happen to Ben and me. She's always so happy and she brought brightness with her everywhere she went. I couldn't decide who she hugged more between the two of us. And I couldn't tell who made Ben's sad go away more, me or Rey. I wasn't even complaining, she was making my job so much easier.

          She was always bringing home food and snacks—more doggie cookies for me—and Rey always dropped morsels on the floor for me to snatch up. Other times they also made food in the kitchen, sometimes it smelled good, and then other times it smelled horrible. But it was okay, they always ended up bent in half, barking with laughter. They were always feeding one another, which was ridiculous. But they have always been ridiculous.

          Like that time Rey surprised Ben when he got home from the Therapist by cooking his favorite food, to which Ben responded by slinging her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing; Rey had shrieked in surprise, laughing riotously while Ben carried her over to the couch and put her down and kissed and tickled and snuggled her. Ridiculous. Or that time Ben came home bringing a wrapped gift, saying “happy one month, Rey,” and Rey almost melting and cooing at him, said “Aw Ben, are we becoming _that_ kind of couple?”, and then laughing and kissing him. Ridiculous. Or that time they excitedly came home and unboxed a thousand tiny pieces on the floor, and spent all night assembling something from the pieces called _legos_ , and didn’t stop until it was completed and they were exhausted from staying up until the early hours of the morning. Ridiculous.

          Ben still got sad sometimes, but they never lasted long, and were fewer and farther in between, now that Rey was there to hug him. Sometimes, it was like Rey knew what was going to happen before it ever did like she was reading Ben’s mind or something. I mean, I was also sort of able to read Ben’s mind. I mostly sensed when he was getting sad, especially when I was near him. I sensed it in his breathing, in the way he moved.

          Even more amazing was that he was starting to make his sad go away on his own. He was able to keep it under control and not let it escalate. There hasn’t been a shouting-and-throwing-things episode in a while. Even without Rey in the house. Even without me needing to be near him. Ben was getting better.

          Rey was spending more time at home. She slept over sometimes, and those days were always fun. I was bombarded with belly rubs, tickles and kisses from them both before we went to sleep. Everything was perfect, but that didn’t last very long. I was confused when they suddenly moved my bed out of the room one night. I was shocked, to say the least. Appalled! I’m no whiner. I never whine, but they kicked me out of the room! I was extremely annoyed that they did that.

          I was whining a bit outside the door (not too loud, I still had my dignity), but they were absolutely ignoring me. Rey rarely ignored me when I was needy for attention; she was always giving us both attention, that was one of the things I loved about her the most. But it wasn’t working, they were in there, adamantly refusing to acknowledge me, and it went on for a bit. I only stopped when I suddenly heard something in the room.

          It was definitely voices, THEIR voices, but weird and high pitched like they were doing something strenuous, like how Ben sounds like when we go for a run.  They kept making these strange noises in the room, and it was only getting louder, and to be really honest, mortifying.

          The bed was squeaking in time with their huffs and puffs. They were obviously doing an activity I was not allowed to witness, and were absolutely uncaring to what I thought (and heard), so I silently padded back to my bed, a little embarrassed for them, and tried my best to sleep. And that was that.

 

          The morning after was probably the happiest I have seen Ben, ever.

 

\---

 

          Rey had become a constant fixture in our lives. It felt like she was always meant to be with us, like she and Ben were meant to be my humans. She took good care of me and Ben. She walked me, fed me, and gave me baths like it was nothing to her; she sang us songs, the most beautiful I’ve ever heard; she took care of Ben, fed him and bathed him when he got sick with the sneezes.

          She would leave the house for a couple of days at a time, but she would always return, always with more food and hugs and cuddles.

          She helped Ben clean the entire house, one time ( _“When was the last time you vacuumed, Ben??”_ she had asked in mock horror), and even rearranged the couches and the glow screens, and everything, not without a bit of grumbling from Ben, but the house actually looked so much -better afterwards.

          We usually went to the park in the mornings, but since it was spent moving heavy things around the house, we went late in the afternoon instead. We did the usual fetches and running around. I got to play with other dogs there. And most importantly, we ate delicious snacks.

          It was getting late, and we were dog-tired from all the running around we did, so we all sat on the blanket on the grass. The sun was starting to set, which bathed everything in a wondrous orange glow; it looked and felt like a dream, and seeing my humans happy and content, quietly sitting together just watching the sunset, I couldn’t have asked for more.

          Rey’s head was on Ben’s shoulder, and Ben was absently petting me, when she suddenly sat up, startling us both from our reverie. “We have to take a picture.”

          So we did, asking a passerby to take a picture of us, on that perfect day we watched the sunset at the park.

 

\---

 

          Everything was perfect, and I was so happy. We all were. But for all my hopes, it did not last forever. Nothing good ever did last forever, in my experience.

          Ben had been sad for a little bit when Rey had arrived that day. It was becoming rare, but it still happened. This time, it was after he had an argument with someone on his small glow screen, he had been shouting again. He was pacing and running his hands through his hair. Something was making him VERY anxious. Automatically, Rey was there to hug and comfort him. And everything was alright again.

          Or so I thought.

          They had been talking quietly for a while when out of nowhere Ben had raised his voice.

          “Ben, I just want to talk about this… Please don’t shut me out.” Rey was pleading with him.

          “It was nothing, alright? Nothing you have to be worried about. Just stop asking about it already.” Ben said, exasperated.

          “...Ben—”

          “Fuck! Rey, just— _stop!_ ”Ben had stood up from the couch, and was running his hand through his hair again and tugging at it.

          Both were raising their voices. It made me nervous. Very nervous, because they’ve fought before, but not like this. Never like this, with the shouting and Ben’s palpable anxiety and anger. But Rey looked like she wasn’t sensing any of Ben’s feelings this time, she looked so frustrated and angry as well.

          “You never tell me anything!”

          “I don’t have to. Why should I? I’m not obligated to tell you everything.”

          “Are you blind? I have been nothing but open and honest with you! The least you can do is return the favor!”

          They were both heaving. Rey was crying. And Ben wasn’t looking at her, just staring at the wall. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there and whined a little bit. They were both ignoring me.

          “Why? So you’ll know more about how much of a fuck-up I am? So you can _fix_ me?” Ben said it with so much venom in his voice.

          “Ben, what are you even saying? Do you really believe that's what I think about this? We've had this same conversation hundreds of times before, but you never tell me anything. I never pushed you to tell me anything because I respect you, but this can’t keep happening.”

          He didn’t answer, he just kept staring at the wall, breathing heavy and his fists clenched tightly.

          “It’s getting exhausting for both of us, Ben. I just want to help you because I—because you're important to me. Please, Ben, let me help you.” Rey stood from the couch and tried reaching out to him, tried to hold his hand.

          Ben slapped her hand away. “I don't need your help! I'm not your fucking charity case,” he yelled at her.

          Rey flinched at that, she looked so hurt. With tears streaming down her face, she quickly took her jacket and her things, and turned to leave. “I don’t deserve this,” she said almost quietly, brokenly. “I'm gonna go.”

          And with that, it was like Ben broke from his trance of rage. He turned and raced after her. “Wait— Rey. Please don’t go.”

 

          But she was already out the door with a slam.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, angst my old friend.
> 
> Also, I know dogs can't really see some colors like orange, but for the sake of the story can we pretend that isn't the case? Thank you for understanding, friends. :))
> 
> The usual thanks to my beta/BF, GP.
> 
> I'm very proud of the artwork in this chapter because it's always torture for me to paint detailed backgrounds, but this has been so much fun to do. Please let me know what you guys think! Comments and kudos are fuel for artists! ❤
> 
> I am on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me!  
> [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)


	4. Chapter 4

          Rey had left. She didn’t even say goodbye. I was left alone in the house, confused and a little scared. What was happening?

          Ben had chased after her, and he hasn’t returned yet. Had he caught up to Rey? Had they made up? I had no idea. They both left me alone, and I was beginning to get nervous again.

          After a while, Ben returned to the house. I was so relieved he came back, but he wasn’t the same. His expression, his eyes, they were so dark. He was so tense and angry, I could sense it. He slammed the door behind him, and as I approached to comfort him, I stopped in my tracks when he screamed and started punching the wall.

          Oh, no. Ben was hurting himself again. I shouted at him to stop. _STOP_. I had been so loud but it took him a while to hear my barks. When he finally did, he turned and with his back on the wall he slid down and sat on the floor. I couldn’t see his face, his head was bent down, his elbows on his knees and his hands were tugging his hair.

          He needed me. I approached hesitantly, and nudged at him and licked him. And as if just realizing I was there, he startled a bit and looked at me. And he just lost it. He started crying. He reached out and hugged me, and I did my best at that angle to try and lick his face to calm him down, but he was sobbing so hard it tugged at my heart. It was painful to hear, he was hurting so bad. I climbed on his lap, and just stayed there until he was calm again, until his sobs turned into sniffles, and finally into long sighs.

          “I messed up bad, Kylo. So bad. She wouldn’t even talk to me or look at me,” his voice sounded so weak. I stayed with him the entire time he was seated on the floor. He sniffled again for a bit, but he was quiet after that. I was glad he was calm again.

          After a while, he untangled himself from the floor and stood up. He took his small glow screen and put it up to his ear. He was pacing around the room, muttering something like _“pickuppickuppickup.”_ This went on for a while, and he was beginning to spiral again, pacing more quickly. When nothing happened, he shouted “fuck!” He looked like he was about to throw his glow screen at the wall, but he stopped himself. He took deep breaths and slowly walked to the couch and laid down. He was taking control of his feelings. Good. I was proud of him.

          Ben’s sadness rolled off him like waves. The next day, he woke up late and didn’t eat. He looked and _smelled_ tired, as if he hadn’t been sleeping. He was so devoid of any emotion as he took me out of the house, as he fed me, as he did anything. This version of Ben was so different from what I was able to witness in the past few months; this Ben was the Ben I first met when I rescued him. I was so worried. We had been making so much headway, but the overwhelming sadness was back.

          Where’s Rey? Why hasn’t she returned?

          If I had to do it all over again from the beginning, then so be it. I had a job to do. This is _Ben_ , MY human, and he needed me, so I will be there for him no matter what. So I did all the tricks and techniques I did when I first met him; it seemed to long ago. I woke him up early, dragged him to our walks, barked at him when he just stared at his food. I demanded pets and scritchies.

          It was working, somewhat, but he was still too sad and heartsick for my liking. He still did his daily pacing with the tiny glow screen on his ear, muttering “ _pickuppickuppickup_ , please pick up,” and still nothing happened. He just sighed, instead of contemplating throwing it against the wall. It’s still progress! I’ll take what I can get.

 

\---

 

          Three days had passed since the Big Fight. I could still sense Ben’s sad, but it wasn’t getting worse. He was preparing to go out, and at first, I thought he was going to Rey. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours, buddy.” Ah. Therapist day, how could I forget. I wasn’t worried, in fact, I was glad he was going. He always felt better after Therapist Day.

          When he returned later on (bringing home snacks, of course), he didn’t look like he felt better. In fact, he looked nervous and almost panicked. I was on alert. He was looking at his small glow screen distractedly as he went in, almost throwing his things on the table. He put it up his ear again, and after a beat, he was talking into it, very quietly, as if afraid that if he talked any louder it would disappear. And in the most broken and beseeching voice, said so softly that I almost didn’t hear it, he said “ _please_.”

          Maybe an hour later, my ears pricked up at hearing something familiar outside. Then, I could smell it, smell _her_. It’s Rey! She’s returned! I was so excited I barked and bounded to the door. Ben was a little confused, shushing me before coming to check what was outside. When he opened it, I could hear his breath leaving his lungs quickly. He just stood there dumbly, staring at Rey, unable to talk. What was this dork doing?? I had to intervene, so barked again.

          “Rey,” he gasped.

          “It was stupid. I was stupid. I didn't understand. I shouldn't have pressured you. I’m so sorry, Ben. I missed you so much” it was rushing out of Rey. She was crying.

          “What? _No_ — Rey, no, no, I was a jerk. I should have told you, after everything— After everything you’ve done for me. I’m sorry. I missed you. I miss you so much.” Ben opened the door wider and ushered Rey in, while I bounded happily around them. They were still ignoring me, but I didn’t even mind. I was so happy! Rey was back! They both sat on the couch, facing one another. Ben had a buzzing energy to him, his hands were trembling.

          “No Ben, you weren’t ready, and I was pressuring you. I realized that I should have been more patient.”

          Ben was shaking his head. “I don’t deserve you, Rey. I really don’t. I was a jerk and I lost my temper. I was afraid of telling you, that you’d tire of me, but that was a mistake. I should have trusted you more. You don’t know how much you mean to me, and I treated you like dirt, I treated you like you were nothing.” Ben hesitated, then with a breath of courage, “I— I love you. I love you more than I know how to deal with.”

          They were both crying now. Well, Ben was trying to hide it, but he was failing miserably.

          “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

          Rey was sobbing. “I was so scared I’d lost you.”

          And in a flash, they were both in each others’ arms. They were still ignoring me, but I was happily sitting there just looking at them being ridiculous.

          Ben bent down so he was eye-level with Rey, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He was half smiling now. “Hey,” he whispered at her, she looked back at him with a watery smile. They stayed like that for a while, with their foreheads touching, their eyes closed, breathing one another. Then finally, Ben shifted so he was sitting properly on the couch, guiding Rey’s head to his chest. “I’m going to tell you everything—”

          Rey quickly protested, raising her head to face him. “Ben, you don’t have to. Not right now.”

          “It’s alright. I want to.”

          So Ben talked. He talked for a long time. Rey was curled up on the couch beside him, her head and her hand on his chest, and she just listened.

          Ben’s voice was quiet, but I couldn't help overhearing bits of _“...my parents…”_ and some of _“_ — _my mom said he’s in…”_ I’d never met his parents. I wonder what they were like. Sometimes he hesitated as he talked, as if afraid of saying what he wanted to say. But he continued, for Rey. “I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do, still don’t know what to do...”

          Finally, after Ben was quiet, Rey said in her most reassuring and comforting voice “I’ll be there for you when you’re ready to talk to them… Don’t be afraid. I’ll hold your hand. You’re not alone.”

          And then...

          “I love you too.”

          Ben's face had lit up so much after that. But by then I was getting impatient with them still ignoring me, so I jumped up on the couch and squeezed myself between them and Rey was squealing and Ben was laughing, and everything was perfect again. I licked their faces, and they both tasted salty.

          Rey squeezed me in a tight hug. “I missed you too, baby.”

 

_\---_

_2 weeks later_

_\---_

 

          “Ben, I hope you realize that if this doesn’t work, we have to take everything back to my place. I can’t move in.”

          “It’ll be fine, I swear. We’ll give it a couple of days, five at most. If they don’t get along by then, then… uh… we’ll take everything back…?” Ben said with a grimace.

          Rey groaned. “Ugh, why didn’t we do this first after I agreed to move in with you?” she said to no one in particular. She looked worried, staring at the ceiling, her arms akimbo.

          In the past 3 days, they’ve been bringing in boxes and boxes of stuff into the house. Rey’s stuff, from the smell of it. It looked like Rey was going to be living with us, and it made me so excited. But now, they were both nervous. Rey, more so than Ben. They’ve been stalling by the door, looking at me every now and then, in between their worried conversation.

          “Rey, what are you so worried about? You know Kylo is a good boy.”

          “Yes, I _know_ that, Ben. But remember he kinda hated me when we first met? What if he reacts badly to BB?”

          Ben sighed. “Only one way to find out.” He crouched down in front of me and put on my leash. I thought we were going to go on a walk, but we just stayed there. “Kylo, we’re going to introduce you to someone, okay? I just need to put this on.”

          Rey went out the door, but was back in a few seconds, this time carrying something like a nice looking cage. And then it hit me. _That smell._ I _know_ that smell. That’s… And before I could even see what was in the box, I heard a “ _meow_.” It’s the cat I’ve been smelling on Rey since the first time I met her. Slowly, they turned the cage so I can see her. I rushed to the cage, but Ben was tugging on my leash.

          “Woah, take it easy, Kylo. We don’t want to scare BB.”

          But BB didn’t look scared. She was just staring at me with those piercing, hypnotizing yellow eyes. Finally, after what felt like hours of staring, I said _“hey.”_

 _“Hey,”_ she replied. _“So you’re Kylo. I’ve been smelling you on Rey for months now. It’s nice to finally put a face to the smell."_

_“Yeah, and I’ve been smelling you too. It feels like I know you already.”_

_“Cool. So our humans are making each other happy, and I’d really like to keep it that way.”_

_“Agreed.”_

_“So, promise you won’t chase me and bite me?”_

_“Only if you keep your murder claws away from me, then we have a deal.”_

_“Okay, deal.”_

          After our silent conversation, which must have looked like a tense stare-off to our humans, I wagged my tail and sniffed in the cage, trying to lick BB.

          “Wait, that’s it? No growling, barking, or disdainful stares? Kylo was giving me the most distrustful stink eyes when we first met,” Rey said in mock hurt, crossing her arms to her chest. But she was laughing, and obviously relieved.

          Ben chuckled, kissing Rey on the forehead. “You know he was just being protective of me then.” He was slackening his grip on the leash now, and Rey was crouching down to let BB out of her cage. BB was up on the couch immediately, sniffing around and stretching, and finally curling up into a ball.

          “Yeah, I know,” Rey said, snaking her arms around Ben’s waist and hugging him from the side.

          “So this makes it official then,” he said, bringing his arms around her shoulder, turning themselves so they were facing into the room.

          She beamed at him, her eyes watery and her smile so bright. “Yep.”

          “Welcome home, Rey.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The usual thanks to my beta/BF, GP. ❤
> 
> Thank you, my dear readers, for staying with this fic. Apologies for the slight delay, you know how life gets in the way. Hope you guys like this chapter! I actually finished this a few days ago, but the art was taking sooo long to finish because I was getting artists' fatigue. But I finally hunkered down tonight to finally get it done. Hope you guys like it as well. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are food for writers/artists ❤
> 
> I'm on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me!  
> [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. First of all, I would like to warn my dear readers about this ending. There will be a major character death. This is not an off the cuff decision, this has been planned since I began plotting the entire fic. But if you do prefer a “happier” ending, you may consider Chapter 4 as the ending of the story and leave it at that, and I will absolutely not begrudge you if you choose to skip this chapter. :)
> 
> If you decide to continue, I hope you’ll find that it’s not a totally angsty ending. There will be tears and goodbyes, but it’s not completely sad and ends on a bittersweet note.
> 
> ❤❤❤

           On one of our trips to the park, I met Gary. Gary is a wise old dog who told me stories of his adventures when he was young. Now he was old and constantly had his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth,  but I listened with much interest to tales of his travels to so many places. I’ve only been to very few places, so it was interesting to hear about exotic locations he’s been to such as the beach, the farm, and the pizza restaurant. They all sounded amazing, especially the pizza restaurant one.

          Gary’s humans, who went to the park with him, are Leia and Han. They are Ben’s parents. Leia is a sweet old lady who was constantly doting on Ben, hugging him and pinching his cheeks, telling him how much she missed him. Ben looked mortified, scrunching his nose and saying “mom, stop. We’re in public.” But Leia and Rey just laughed. Leia also hugged Rey, telling her it was nice to finally meet her and thanking her for caring for his baby, Ben. That earned more groans from him.

          Han was… Well, Ben was weird around Han. They shook hands, and they talked, silently. Ben spoke in very short and clipped sentences. I sensed a strong tension between them; Han was uneasy, and Ben looked like he had an anger that he was trying to push down, like he was brimming over with it, but was trying hard to keep it all in. He was constantly running his hands through his hair and breathing deep breaths trying to compose himself. I was about to approach him to calm him down, but Rey, always the savior, was quickly there beside him, her arms around her waist.

          With a very obvious breath of relief, he looked at her with gratitude and said, turning back to Han, “this is Rey. I told you about her the last time we… talked. Rey, this is Han—Dad. My dad. Han.”

          Without skipping a beat, Rey held out her hand to Han and said, “it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Solo!”

          Han also looked relieved at the reprieve of tension that Rey brought. He smiled at her and shook her hand. “Please, call me Han. Nice to finally meet you, Rey. You kids look good together.”

          “Oh, they really do, don’t they?” Leia cooed as she approached the group.

          Ben groaned, everyone laughed, and like all our visits to the park, it was a perfect day. They brought lots of food with them and while they sat and ate, I ran around with Gary, asking him more questions about farm cows and pizza.

          My ears pricked up at overhearing Leia say “you guys should visit the farm one of these days. Bring Kylo.”

          Rey was excitedly nodding at Ben, who finally said, “fine.”

          We’re going to the farm!

 

\---

 

          The ride to the farm didn’t take too long. Ben was holding the wheel, and Rey sat beside him. I was at the back, with the window open, enjoying the new sights, sounds, and— _oh_ —the SMELLS. The smells became newer and stronger the nearer we got to the farm. I could smell grass, animals, dirt, it was all amazing. I wish BB could smell this, but she said she did not like the outdoors. We brought her with us in her special cage and dropped her at Rey’s friend’s house on the way. “Be good, BB! We’ll pick up in a couple of days,” Rey told her, and then BB, as usual, just yawned.

          I was so excited, my tail was getting tired from all the wagging. It had been a month since they first talked about coming to the farm, and we were finally here! Soon, we stopped in front of a huge house. Leia was there, with Gary by her side, waving at us. In front of the house was an enormous field, the biggest I have ever seen, bigger than the park, probably the biggest in the world. It was just open fields as far as the eye can see. And I saw huge animals roaming around, probably the cows Gary was telling me about. There were also smaller animals, with beaks and wings. The ducks and the chickens. There was also a pond, where some of the ducks were floating on.

          The farm was amazing. The sky was so wide and the air was so fresh. Trees lined the side of the house and dotted the fields. And the usual noise of people and cars and machines were replaced by rustling leaves, insects, and animals.

          Leia greeted us with her usual fussing. “Come, come! Let’s get you inside. How was the drive, Ben? Are you hungry? Han and your Uncle Luke are in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Rey, dear, how are you? And look, Gary, Kylo’s here!” stopping by each one of us, pinching, patting, and petting, respectively, not even waiting for replies before herding us all inside the house.

          Delicious smells greeted us inside. Booming laughter can be heard from within. One was Han and the other, a new human, Uncle Luke. I was left with Gary while everyone went deeper into the house where all the smells and noises were.

 _“Come I’ll show you around,”_ Gary said to me, leading outside through a tiny door.

 _“Are we allowed to go outside? I haven’t got my leash on,”_ I told him.

_“You won’t need a leash while you’re here.”_

          So we went outside, bounding happily towards the front lawn. We went to the huge field in front of the house where Gary showed me all the things he told me about that day at the Park.

 _“Those are the cows. They are there to keep the grass from growing too long. That’s why they’re always eating,”_ he told me as we walked past a family of brown cows who looked up at us lazily. Then, a good distance from us he pointed his nose towards a group of the small animals foraging on the ground. _“Those are the ducks. We stay away from the ducks. They are evil.”_ And they did look evil, they just stared at us with those weird beaks, quacking softly but menacingly. I was learning so much from Gary. He was so wise.

_“And then, those are the chickens. They are for chasing. But don’t get too close or they’ll peck you!”_

          So we chased chickens. We could never get too close to them, they were too fast and they could fly! Well, almost. They weren’t very good at it. But I had to take several breaks; I was getting winded so easily; those chickens were no joke to chase! I was having so much fun chasing a particularly fat chicken that I didn’t even notice Gary barking at me to _stop_. And I was so focused that I failed to see what I was very quickly moving towards until it was too late. When the chicken flew at the very last second, directly right in front of it was the pond, and I splashed into it head first.

          It wasn’t a deep pond, but it was very muddy at the bottom, and plants were sticking all over me. And indignant ducks who had been floating in it before I disrupted their relaxation were quacking angrily. But I was having a blast! I splashed around in the pond, cooling off. I turned to look at Gary to invite him over, but if dogs could grimace, he would have, because right behind him, hurrying towards the field, were Ben and Rey. Uh oh.

          “Goddammit, Kylo! What the heck are you doing? Get out of there!” Ben half screamed, but there was no anger in his voice. He sounded amused and in disbelief, while Rey was straight up guffawing, her hand on her belly.

          I loped towards them, and when I shook the water from my body, Rey squealed and ran behind Ben, taking cover from the water splashes. “Kylo, stop!” she laughed raucously, running around Ben to avoid me when I approached her. They were both laughing now as I ran around them, with Rey using Ben as a shield, determined to avoid getting wet.

          “Okay, buddy, let’s get you cleaned up. Dinner’s almost ready.” Ben took out my leash and put it on, leading me towards the back of the house for a quick bath. Rey had a towel ready when we finished.

          That night, after they had eaten, everyone gathered in the big room, talking, drinking, and laughing.

          Gary was snoozing on Leia’s Lap, while I drowsed contentedly between Ben and Rey. And from all the day’s activities of running and terrorizing chickens,  I was exhausted. I was dimly aware of glasses clinking and joyful voices before I quickly drifted off into a deep and happy sleep.

          The next day, Ben, Rey, and I went on a hike. After about an hour of walking and jumping over big rocks and logs (and the occasional sniff of odd and new things), we finally arrived at a small and secluded lake.

          “I used to come up here every day during summer breaks when I was younger,” Ben told Rey, who was staring in wonder at the body of water.

          “It’s beautiful, Ben.”

          “It sure is,” Ben replied, but he wasn’t looking at the lake.

          Rey was stifling a giggle when suddenly, Ben let go of my leash and the basket he’d been carrying, and stooped behind her and slung her over his arms, one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back. This earned a shriek from Rey.

          “Ben, don’t you dare!”

          “Oh, I dare! Come on Kylo, let’s take a dip!” he called after me while he bounded the short distance to the lake and jumped in, with Rey still in his arms screaming all the way.

          After the huge splash, Rey spluttered to the surface and proceeded to slap water towards Ben. “You ass!” They were both breathless with laughter.

          I jumped in after them, making a splash with the very cool water. It was deep, but I discovered that I had a natural talent for swimming. And I could always swim over to Ben when I got tired, he carried me effortlessly.

          They played fetch with me, throwing sticks into the water for me to retrieve. And they took turns jumping from a big boulder by the shore. When we got cold, we’d lie on the stone surface by the water’s edge and soak up the hot midday sun, which I didn’t think would lead to them jamming their mouths together and grabbing each other’s hair, but it did, which, by now, I was very used to.

          Soon, we were famished and we ate all the food that they brought (left-overs from last night, but still very delicious.)

          I was having so much fun. It was becoming my most favorite Best Day Ever.

          By the time we returned to the house, it was late afternoon. After Ben gave me a bath and Rey dried me off, they let me out. I was so exhausted I didn’t even have the energy to chase the chickens. I went to the back porch with Gary, where there was a flurry of activity. Leia, Han, and Uncle Luke were setting tables and chairs. The activity became background noise and soon I was napping soundly.

          By the time I woke up, it was dark. The sight that welcomed me was breathtaking. The set up that they had been working on was surrounded by strings of twinkling lights. Over the table (where lots of delicious-smelling food had been set-up) were more strings of the tiny lights. Everything was glowing.

          Lively music was playing softly somewhere, and an excited but hushed chatter can be heard. But Ben and Rey were nowhere in sight, it was just Leia, Han, and Uncle Luke.

          Before I can begin to worry, Ben arrived hand in hand with Rey. She gasped with delight upon seeing all the lights (and food, I assumed).

          “Oh, Leia, this is wonderful! What’s the occasion? Is it someone’s birthday? Ben didn’t say!”

          “No, this is just how we eat every night. Last night was an anomaly.” Uncle Luke chuckled.

          Leia rolled her eyes. “Oh shush. This is to just a little something to celebrate you guys coming to the farm for the first time—well, in Ben’s case, the first time in 10 years! Come, come, let’s eat! You must be starving.”

          While everyone settled to eat and chat, I noticed something off with Ben. You couldn’t tell from the way he acted, but I could sense it, almost smell it from him. He was nervous. Extremely nervous. He ran his hands through his hair once in a while. Any other time, this would also set off my nervousness, but this felt different than his usual anxiety. No, this was something else.

          After everyone had finished eating, Ben stood from his chair and faced Rey. He cleared his throat.

          Rey turned to him, and with a little worry in her voice asked, “Ben? Is everything okay?” She turned to look over to everyone else in the table, a little furrow in her brows, and found that they were all grinning and looking at her. Rey was confused, but when she turned back to look at Ben, she gasped loudly when she saw him on his knees before her, holding up a small box.

          “Ben…” she whispered. One hand covered her mouth and the other was on her chest.

          “Rey. When I first met you, I never would have imagined how much you would change my life for the better. You inspired me to be better. The day realized I loved you, I knew I wanted to spend my life with you. Through the good, the bad, I wanted it all to be with you. I love you. I love you so much it scares me. I would like to grow old and wrinkly with you if you’ll have me… Will you marry me?”

          For a beat, Rey was quiet, but sniffles can be heard around the table.

          “Oh, Ben, yes! Of course.”

          In a flash, they were hugging and kissing, and whoops, cheers, and claps erupted from their small audience. Rey was crying, Ben was tearing up, but there were huge smiles on everyone's faces.

          When Ben slipped something on Rey's finger, Leia walked around the table to them crying. “Oh, my babies! I'm so happy for you! I love you.” She hugged them for a long time.

          “Alright, alright. Leave some for us,” Han chortled. After the big hug had untangled, he shook Ben’s hand and gave him heavy pats on the back. “Congratulations, kid. You did good,” and to Rey, whom he hugged, “welcome to the family, Rey.”

          Uncle Luke also joined in on the fun, giving everyone jolly hugs. Lots of tearful “thank yous” and “I love yous” were exchanged that night. Gary and I got excited too, barking and wagging and jumping around, eager for their pets.

          “Let me take your first picture as an engaged couple,” Luke offered.

          As Ben and Rey sat on the bench with the twinkly lights, all tears and smiles, Rey squeaked, “wait a sec!” Then called to me. “Kylo, come here, baby!” I went and sat between them as Uncle Luke took pictures. Then it was everyone else’s turn for pictures.

          After everyone has calmed down and seated again, with drinks in their hands, Rey asked, “wait, so everyone knew? For how long?”

          “Yeah, the three of us knew. Ben let us in on the secret and asked us to help surprise you. We’ve been planning this for almost a month now.” Han grinned at her.

          “Ben was so sweet for involving us. It made me so happy.” Leia said, getting teary-eyed again.

          “I’m just glad Leia was able to keep the secret.” Luke chuckled, while Leia gave him a friendly swat on the shoulder. “So, Ben, Rey, you never told me how you guys met.”

          So Ben told him, animatedly, about the hotdog incident in the park many months ago, which amused everyone immensely. “So that would make Kylo your cupid!” Uncle Luke exclaimed, making everyone laugh.

          Rey turned to look at me and gave me ear scritchies, and said, “You’re right, he really is our little cupid.” She looked at me so adoringly. I love Rey so much.

          Before long, everyone had a slur in their voice and their laughs more carefree. I was getting tired, but I stayed outside with them. As I yawned, I noticed the stars were so bright in the sky. It’s one of the things that’s so amazing here; I could never see any stars in the sky back home.

          In the twinkling of the lights and the stars, I melted into the warm feeling of contentment and happiness I shared with my humans as I drifted off to sleep.

 

\---

 

          “I got it.”

          “You got it?”

          “Yeah.”

          Rey made a happy squeak and jumped up to hug Ben. “Aw congrats, baby! I knew you’d get the promotion! I knew it! No doubt at all! Nope!” She giggled as Ben hoisted her up against his waist and tickled her.

          “Yeah, I start in a month. But I do have to go visit HQ in a couple of days. For a week. I have to be away from you for a week.” Ben groused.

          “That’s alright, Ben. You’ll be fine. It’s just an hour away by plane. And I’ll be fine. Kylo will be here to keep me company and protect me.” She got down from Ben and crouched down to me. “Won’t you baby? Our little cupid,” she murmured softly at me, scratching my ears.

          I wagged my assent and gave her a lick.

          “I’m so proud of you, Ben. I just know you’ll kick ass.”

          As Ben and Rey left for their room, I sat back down beside the couch. I was feeling tired.

 _“You okay, Kylo?”_ BB asked me, jumping from the couch to the floor.

          I’d been feeling yucky all day and I didn’t really want to eat. Or go have a walk. Or do anything.

 _“I’m just not in the mood,”_ I replied.

          It had been months since that Best Weekend Ever at the farm (I told BB all about it but she just wasn't as excited as I thought she’d be at the chicken and cows and ducks.) Since then, everything was back to normal, back to our old routine, which was absolutely fine with me. I don’t think I could have taken another exhausting day chasing chickens. But I’d feel yucky every now and then. Today was one of those days.

          Afternoon came and I was still feeling a bit yucky. Ben and Rey had been in the kitchen when Rey approached me. There was concern in her voice. She must have seen my bowl which I hadn’t touched.  

          “Ben, Kylo didn’t eat his food this morning. That’s twice this week already. Baby, are you okay?” Rey crouched down and stroked my head.

          Ben followed Rey down and started scratching my head. “You okay, buddy? Maybe we should take him to the vet?”

          OH NO. The Vet. I wanted to tell them I was fine. Perfectly fine! No need to go to The Vet.

          “Yeah, I’ll call the clinic for an appointment.” (Noooo.)

          Rey had done it. She’d called The Vet. I hated going there. Everything smells weird, the lights were too bright, and I got poked and prodded and sometimes pricked. I don’t know why but they keep taking me there every few months or so.

          “They said he’s due for an appointment next week anyway, for his regular check-up, so we’ll take him then. After your trip? Doc said I should just monitor his diet, how much he’s eating.”

          “Okay, that sounds good.”

          Ugh. No, it does NOT sound good.

-

          It has been five days since Ben left for his trip.

          Rey took me on walks, but I get so easily tired, we had to cut them short. I tried eating, but only a little. I couldn’t really eat much when I was feeling yucky. Rey kept hand-feeding me to convince me to eat more, and I know she meant well, but I really didn’t want to. It was making me feel worse.

          Today, I couldn't really move without feeling even yuckier. I just slept all day on my bed. BB would sit beside me and purr, which always made me feel better. Rey came over to me bringing my bowl.

          “Here, baby. I got this from the vet's. It should improve your appetite.”

          And it kinda did. I ate everything. It was delicious. But then…

          I threw it all up five minutes later. Now I was feeling REALLY bad.

          Rey is panicking. She is cleaning up after me and making comforting sounds, but she couldn't hide how frantic she sounded. She went to get her glow screen and called someone, still sounding so worried. Then, she was talking to Ben.

          “Ben, something's wrong with Kylo. He's really sick. I'm taking him to the vet right now— No, no, I'll be fine. We'll be fine. I'm just really worried. Okay. I'll update you. I love you.”

          Rey, my sweet human, actually carried me to the back of the car, all by herself. I couldn't even get up on my own now. The car ride is bad. It's making me feel worse. It's bumpy and making me feel dizzy. I wonder where Ben is? I need to see him. I need Ben.

          Rey takes me to The Vet. I really don't like this place. The white room and the nasty smells are too much for me right now. I really need to see Ben. I'm hurting and I just need to see him. The Vet is doing some things and poking and feeling, and I’m being put in a machine, and then pricked with something sharp that made me feel floaty, it takes the pain away a little.

          The Vet is talking to Rey, and I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it's upsetting Rey so much, I wish he would just stop. Rey is crying and stroking me, holding her glow screen to her ear.

          “Ben? We're at the vet's. I really think you should come home. Now. Can you make it?” Rey is sniffling, trying to stop her tears, but she's sobbing now as she said “I'm so sorry, baby. The vet will tell you everything. We'll wait for you, okay?”

          It's hours later, or maybe days, I couldn't tell when I'm feeling so floaty when Ben finally arrives. He's here, Ben is finally here. He's by my side immediately, whispering things to me I couldn't really hear. I just feel so weak. I can't even move to greet him. But he goes away again. He's talking to The Vet. (Why is The Vet upsetting my humans?) Rey remains by my side, her pets and scritchies are so comforting, but I really wish Ben would return. I need to see him. Make sure he's going to be okay.

          When Ben finally returns, he looks sad. So sad. I don't know why. He's trying to hug me, choking back a sob. Then he's fully crying now.

          “I love you, Kylo. You've been such a good boy. The best. Thank you for everything, buddy.”

          Ben needs me right now. I need to comfort him. I have to be there for Ben.

          “We love you, baby. Thank you for introducing us to one another. Our good boy. Our little cupid.” Rey said to me, her voice was thick with tears. Then she's hugging Ben from behind, comforting him. Making him feel better.

          Then I realized something. _Rey_. I could laugh at myself for not realizing sooner. Of course. Of course. Rey.

          Rey is holding him. Ben is not alone, not anymore, and it made me so happy. I will not be leaving him alone. Rey will be with him. I look at them. They are both crying, but I know they will be alright; they have each other.

          I’m not worried anymore. How could I have been? I was being ridiculous.

          I see Ben nod the tiniest nod at someone I couldn't see from behind me, and that floaty feeling returns. I welcome it. And with my final breath and wag, I let the comforting embrace of darkness float me into a happy and peaceful rest, straight to the Rainbow Bridge.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys okay? We’re gonna be okay. *wipes eyes*  
> I wanted to give Kylo the best experiences before he went on to the Rainbow Bridge. But remember he wasn’t a pup anymore, he was getting old. It had to happen someday. Kylo lived his final days full of love and happiness and scritchies, and most importantly he lived a fulfilled life. 
> 
> But as a wise man once said, bringing home a puppy is like starting a countdown to heartache.
> 
> The usual thanks to my beta/BF GP. ❤ I'm on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me! [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)
> 
>  
> 
> I've upped the chapter count to 6. I'll be adding a short epilogue soon.


	6. Epilogue

          “I'm nervous, BB.”

          “Don't be. It'll be fun.”

          “But you won't be there.”

          “Well, I can't be there, I hate the outdoors. You'll be fine. I'm sure you'll enjoy the farm.”

          “How do you know? You haven't been there.”

          “Well no, but my friend Kylo has, and told me all about it when they went there the last time.”

          “Who's Kylo?”

          “Kylo was my good friend. A dog, just like you. And like you, Ben and Rey were his humans. He also came from the Cold Cages.”

          “Where's Kylo now?”

          “He's moved on to the Rainbow Bridge. A few months before you came home.”

          “Oh… Was he also rescued from the Cold Cages?”

          “He always maintained that he rescued Ben…” 

          “Why? What happened to Ben?”

          “Kylo told me that before he met Rey, he was Sad.”

          “Oh. But he's not Sad anymore.”

          “No, he's not. Kylo introduced Ben to Rey. That's what he told me. That he dragged Ben towards Rey at the Park. Then they were together. That's why he's not Sad anymore.”

          “Oh, wow. I can't even imagine that there was a time Rey and Ben weren't together. I wish I'd met Kylo.”

          “Me too. I wish you'd met him too. He was great.”

          BB smiled to herself, reminiscing all the fun times she had with Kylo. Ever since she and Rey moved in together with Ben and Kylo, it wasn't long before they became close friends, partners in crime. She recalls their happy times together: how she would drop morsels of food for him from the table; or the many times they would try to guess how long Rey and Ben's mouth smushing would last; or how much he loved her purrs and kneads, especially during his last days. 

          When he got sicker, he always talked about Ben and Rey, always worried about them. About Ben, especially. BB assured him that she would take care of them when he goes to cross the Rainbow Bridge. She promised him that she will help Rey if ever Ben gets sad. She will never break that promise, especially now that she has a new helper.

          “So, what did Kylo say about the farm?”

          “Well… He said that you'll meet Ben's parents there. And wise old Gary, the dog. He told me about the cows; they kept the grass short. He told me about evil ducks and to stay away from them.”

          “Wow.”

          “He told me that while he was there he chased and chased chickens, it sounded like he had so much fun. And they also went to a lake. That was probably Kylo's favorite, the lake.”

          “I've never seen a lake before. Or cows. Or ducks and chickens.”

          “You'll have fun. Don't be nervous. Rey and Ben will be there.”

          By the time their conversation was over, BB noticed that the new puppy had become more relaxed—excited even. He's still young, still gets nervous around new people and new places, but Ben and Rey loves him. 

          She misses Kylo. He had been so kind, and he cared so much about their humans. 

          But she's also happy about the new puppy. It's always nice to have company around the house. And it's even nicer to have someone look at you like you're the wisest cat ever, like you have all the answers in the world. Most importantly, his arrival was like a balm to their grieving hearts over Kylo's passing. Far from being a replacement, the pup's presence was like the passing of a torch, keeping Kylo's flame of love and devotion alive.

          The pup had been chewing on his doggie bone when Rey and Ben emerged from the room.

          “Ben, can you grab the coolers? I'll just get BB ready in her carrier.”

          “Sure, babe.” Ben replied, kissing her temple.

          With the coolers set aside, and seeing Rey still coaxing BB into her carrier, Kylo grabbed the leash and crouched down in front of the eager and wagging puppy.

          “You ready to go, buddy? You'll have so much fun at the farm.”

          The puppy yapped in agreement.

          Rey laughed as she looked over them.

          “Aaaw! That's our brave little Ani!”

 

 

 

 

\- end -

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I really hope you enjoyed it. I am so happy and honestly in disbelief that I got this much reads, comments, and kudos. You guys have been so so so awesome. T_T
> 
> The usual thanks to my beta/BF GP. ❤ I'm on Twitter! I post Star Wars/Reylo stuff and my artworks over there. Follow me! [@ReyreyButt](https://twitter.com/ReyreyButt)


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